ARC vs. Sac City

Comparable Facts

Compare American River College in Sacramento, CA with Sacramento City College in Sacramento, CA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

American River College is larger than Sac City based on total student enrollment (30,462 students vs. 19,920 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

• American River College is located in Sacramento, CA (Large Suburban setting); Sacramento City College is in Sacramento, CA (Large City setting).
• American River College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution. Sacramento City College is a public, non-profit 2-year institution.
• Student-to-faculty ratio: American River College 29:1; Sacramento City College 26:1.

ARC vs. Sac City Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ARC or Sac City? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Sacramento City College than ARC ($8,624 vs. $9,488).
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) are the same at American River College and Sac City ($22,086).
• American River College and Sac City have the same published in-state tuition ($1,288.00 vs. $1,288.00).
• Out-of-state tuition is the same at ARC as at Sacramento City College ($12,616.00 vs. $12,616.00).
• A larger share of students receive grant aid at Sacramento City College than at American River College (90% vs. 89%).
• The average total grant financial aid received by Sacramento City College students is 13.5% larger than aid received by American River College students ($6,192 vs. $5,456).

ARC vs. Sac City Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, ARC or Sac City? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Sac City and ARC.

• Both colleges report an open admissions policy; selectivity can still vary by program or major.
• Submitting SAT or ACT scores: ARC - Open admission; Sac City - Open admission.

ARC vs. Sac City Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for ARC and Sac City? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

• Graduates from Sacramento City College earn a median of about $2,400 more per year than ARC graduates about ten years after starting college ($39,000 vs. $36,600), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
• Among federal student loan borrowers, Sacramento City College graduates have a $1,733 lower median loan debt than ARC graduates ($10,500 vs. $12,233).
• Among borrowers, Sac City graduates have an estimated $18 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than ARC graduates ($108 vs. $126).
• More Sac City graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ARC students, three years after graduation. (29% vs. 26%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.